The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults ages 18 and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. You can walk on a treadmill year round, even when it's cold and rainy or hot and humid outside. This flexibility will help you fulfill the weekly minimum exercise recommended by the CDC. When you make walking on a treadmill part of your weekly routine, you can enjoy a range of health and fitness benefits.
Stronger Bones
Weight-bearing exercise such as walking can help you build stronger bones and prevent osteoporosis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Walking on a treadmill will have a greater positive impact on your bone health than lower-impact workouts on stationary bicycles or elliptical trainers.
Weight and Cholesterol Management
Like other forms of aerobic exercise, walking can help you manage your weight and lower your cholesterol levels. The Mayo Clinic estimates that an hour of walking at 2 miles per hour can burn about 183 calories for a 160-pound person, and an hour of walking at 3.5 miles per hour can burn about 277 calories for a 160-pound person.
Increased Lung Capacity
When you walk vigorously enough to increase your heart rate, you breathe more rapidly and more deeply, increasing the oxygen flow through your blood. Consistent aerobic exercise can help your heart and lungs to work more efficiently, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Higher Quality of Life
When your lungs work more efficiently as a result of regular aerobic exercise, you will begin to see a wide range of benefits in your daily life. The Mayo Clinic suggests that regular exercise can improve your mood, boost your confidence, increase your energy levels, help you relax, promote deeper sleep and even lead to better sex.
Treadmill Perks
The treadmill allows you to keep up with your aerobic exercise in an indoor, controlled environment. You can also customize your workout on treadmills by adjusting the speed or the incline. Treadmills offer the additional benefit of multitasking. When you walk on a treadmill, you can also watch television or read the newspaper or a book. Record your favorite hour-long television show to watch while you walk, and you might find that your workout goes by more quickly.
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